Rotary engine



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

P. C. MORTON.

ROTARY ENGINE.

Patented Jam-13, 1885.

INVENTBR WITNESSES W W/4&4)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

Patented Jan. 13, 1886.

l/l/I/Il/I/I/l/II/I/Il/I/A (No Model.

P. G. MORTON.

ROTARY ENGINE.

INVENTUR C- WITNEEEEE rrnn FREDERIO CHAUNCEY MORTON,

OF CHELSEA, MASSACHUSETTS.

ROTARY ENGINE.-

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 310,843, dated January13, 1885. Application filed February .25, 1884. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERIC O. MORTON, of Chelsea, in the county ofSuffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvementsin Rotary Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of rotary engines having pistonswhich are alternately forced into and out of a rotating hub, and causedwhile forced into the hub to pass an abutment or point where the hub and021s ing are always in contact.

The invention has for its object to provide certain improvements in thisclass of engines whereby the pistons are more perfectly balanced andenabled to operate with less friction than heretofore.

The invention also has for its object to provide improved packingdevices, an improved valve, and other details of construction.

To these ends my invention consists in the improvements which I will nowproceed to describe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,Figure 1 represents a vertical transverse central section of a rotaryengine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents a longitudinal verticalsection showing the hub and its pistons in a different position fromthat shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents a transverse vertical section ofthe valve. Fig. 4 represents a longitudinal veriical section on line y 3Fig. 3. Fig. 5 represents a horizontal section on line a 2, Fig. 8. Fig.6 represents a transverse section of a modification.

The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all thefigures.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4., and 5, a. represents the cylindricalcasing.

b represents the shaft journaled in bearings at the ends of the casing,and provided within the casing with a hub or enlargement, c, keyed orotherwise rigidly secured to the shaft. The hub is provided with endplates or flanges, c c, of greater diameter than the hub, and boltedthereto by bolts z. The chamber in the -casing which contains the hub cis of sufficient diameter to receive the flanges c, and forms asteam-space, d, between said flanges, extending partly around the hub,the continuity of said space being broken by an abutment, 0, formed byextending the inner wall of the space (1 inwardly between the flanges 0until it meets the hub between the induction port f and the eduction orexhaust port 9. The outer wall of the chamber (1 is concentric with thehub, excepting at said abutment and at the'opposite ends thereof, wheretwo curved inclines, h 2', connect the abutment with the concentricportions of the outer wall of the chamber. In the hub are formed tworadial chambers or cavities, j 9', extending in diametrically-oppositedirections.

k represent pistons adapted to slide in said cavities, and normallypressed outwardly against the outer wall of the chamber d by springs ZZ, which extend into orifices m in the hub. The pistons 7c are formed toextend across the space between the hub and the outer wall of thechamber, as shown in Fig. l, and also to extend from one flange c to theother, as

shown in Fig. 2. It will be seen that when the engine is in operationeach piston, as it approaches the abutment, (thehub rotating in thedirection indicated by the arrow in Fig 1,) will be gradually forcedinwardly by the incline i against the pressure of the-spring until thepiston passes the abutment, and will then be forced out by its springwhile passing along the incline h. The incline z, whereby'the pistonsare pushed inwardly, is more gradual than the other incline, h, so thatthe friction caused by the inward pressure of the pistons is made aslight as possible. The shortness of the incline h enables each piston tobe quickly forced out to contact with the concentric portion of the wallof the chamber (1 after passing the abutment, so that only shortclearance is required, and the steam can be out off very soon after thepiston passes the inductio11-port. The clearance, however, is notexhausted. The outer wall of the chamber 62 is provided with grooves hi, extending along the inclines he) and permitting steam to pass aroundthe outer 'ends of the pistons. Thus when a piston has passed theexhaustport and is being pressed inwardly by the incline 2 the groove '6in said incline permits the steam between the piston and the abutment toescape over the end of the piston before the latter is entirelyretracted. The induction-port f opens into the groove h, and theincoming steam passes into said groove,

and is enabled thereby to gain access to the space between the abutmentand piston when the outer end of the piston is directly opposite theinduction-port. Each piston is provided with orifices m extending fromits outer to its inner end, and permitting steam to pass into the cavityj of the hub behind the piston, when the outer end of the lattercoincides with the induction-port, or with any portion of the groove h.The piston is thus perfectly balanced, the steam being prevented fromexerting its entire pressure inwardly on the end of the piston, and bygaining access to the rear and inner sides of the piston so equalizesthe pressure that the action of the spring Z in pushing the pistonoutwardlyis not impeded. The spring of each piston is supported by arod, a, which is screwed into the shaft b atits inner end, and projectsoutwardly, its outer end enteringan orifice, 0, in the piston. Thesprings are thus firmly supported and prevented from being displacedlaterally to a sufficient extent to make them liable to be caughtbetween thepistons and the outer ends of the orifices in the hub whichreceive said springs. The abutment eis recessed to receive a packingcomposed of two L-shaped metallic pieces or plates, p 12, adapted tobear at the same time against the hub, and against the inner faces ofthe flanges 0 thereof. The plates 19 are backed by expansible materialq, such as felt in a compressed condition, which presses the platesinwardly against the hub and laterally against the flanges, and thusinsures steam-tight joints at the abutment. The perimeters of theflanges c are beveled, as shown in Fig. 2, and their inner sides havegrooves r, which receive the ends of the pistons, and support saidpistons when theyare pressed outwardly. Whenthe pistons are in theirworking position, as shown in Fig. 1, the pressure .of steam on theirrear sides presses their front sides against the corresponding surfacesof the recesses j and grooves r wand thus prevents steam from passingbetween the pistons and the surfaces against which they bear. The endsor corners of the pistons are beveled, so that when pressed outwardly tothe fullest extent the corners of the pistons will form continuations ofthe beveled perimeters of the flanges, as shown at the lower portion ofFig. '2. s .9 represent packing-rings, each of which is a right-angledtriangle in crosssec- I tion, the hypotenuses of the triangles fittingthe beveled perimeters of the flanges 0, while the right-angled sidesbear against the casing, as shown in Fig. 2. The rings 8 are pressedagainst the'beveled perimeters of the flanges c by springs t, interposedbetween the backs of the rings and adjustable screws u, inserted in thecasing. The screws may be adjusted to regulate the pressure of thepacking-rings, 01' to compensate for wear of the bearing-surfaces of therings. Pins 12, inserted in the casing and projecting into orifices inthe packingrings, prevent said rings from rotating with the flanges, butdo not prevent the described adjustment of the rings. The triangularform of the packing-rings, the beveled form of the perimeters 0f theflanges, and the provision of means for adjusting the rings enable saidrings to be used until they are nearly worn out, the wear experienced bythe rings being uniform and effecting no change in the form of thewearingsurfaces of the rings with relation to the perimeters of theflanges c. The beveled perimeters of the flanges 0 are providedpreferably with file cuts or grooves 22, extending partly but not whollyacross said perimeters. These cuts enable oil poured between the casingand the outer surfaces of the flanges c to find its way between thebearingsurfaces of the flanges andthe packing-rings, and thus keep saidsurfaces lubricated. The oil may be inserted through holes at drilled inthe casing. (See Fig. 2.)

a represents the valve, which is of the os cillating or rocking form,and is oscillated by means of a crank -arm, r, attached to one end ofthe valve-rod, and a connecting-rod, s, eccentrically pivoted to a disk,It, on the shaft b of the engine. The valve is a hollow cylinder open atboth ends, as shown in Fig. 5, so as to receive steam at one end from asteampipe, and permit the steam .to bear against the end of the casingat the other end of the valve,'thus preventing endwise pressure on thevalve. From the interior of the valve the steam passes to theinduction-port f alternately through ports d 6', formed atdiametricallyopposite points in the periphery of the valve andcorresponding fixed ports, f in the casing. Steam is therefore alwayspresent in the interioriof the valve and bears against the outer surfaceof the valve at two diametrically-opposite pointsviz., at the ports f gwhen the valve is turned to wholly or partly cut off the steam, so thatthe valve is balanced and enabled to rock freely.

The valve-operating devices above described are so adjusted that thevalve begins to'open and admit steam to the induction-port just aftereach piston has passed the incline hand is in position to form'a space.for the entering steam between the abutment and rear side.

After'the hub has made a partial rotation the steam is cut off until thenext piston reaches the same point, the steam admitted workingexpansively after the cut-off. The valve may be timed, however, to cutoff and admit the steam atany desired stages in the rotation of the huband its pistons.

i represents a valvelocated in an offset portion of the casing of thevalve a, and provided with a longitudinal port, j, adapted to connectthe steam-pipe with the port 9 leading to induction-port f, and thusadmit steamto start the engine. This valve is intended for use only instarting the engine when the Valve a is not in position to admit steamto the induction-port. When the engine is in motion, the valve 2" isturned to disconnect its port from the port 9.

Fig. 6 shows a sectional view of a reversible Inc engine provided withmy improvements, eX- cepting the valve arrangement above described.

In the modification the casing is provided with two ports, Z Z, at equaldistances from the abutment, but at opposite sides thereof. The inclineswhereby the pistons are pressed inwardly have the same inclination, eachbeing substantially like the incline t. (shown in Fig. 1,) and eachhaving a groove, i, to permit passage of steam over the ends of thepistons. The ports 1 Z communicate with a valve casing or chamber, m,having an induction-port, n, and an exhaust-port, 0. An oscillatingvalve, 19, in said chamber is adapted to 0011- nect either of the portsZ with the induction or with the exhaust port of the casing, and thusmake either port Z an induction or an exhaust port. The valve 1) iswider at one of its bearingsurfaces than at the other, and is adapted tocover the induction-port with its wider surface, while its narrowersurface stands over the exhaust-port, but leaves an open space at eachside, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 6. The valve is turned to thisposition when the engine has stopped. The steam remaining in the engineis thus allowed to escape through both ports Z and the exhaust port.

I am aware that it is not new to make the casing of a rotary engine witha long incline on the eduotion side and a short incline on the inductionside of the rotating piston, and such I do not claim broadly.

I claim 1. In a rotary engine, the combination of the rotary hub havingthe outwardly'im pelled radially-movable spring-impelled pistons, andthe chambered casing having a portion (more than half) of its innersurface con-- centric with the axis of the hub, and separated from thesurface of the hub, and the remaining portions composed of the concaveabutment having an elongated bearing on the hub, the curved incline t,tangential both to the separated concentric surface and the con caveabutment, and arranged mainly between the eduction-port and theabutment, whereby the pistons are forced in gradually with the minimumof friction after the steam has mainly exhausted, and the shorterincline h connecting the abutment with the separated concentric surface,whereby the pistons, after passing the abutment, are enabled to quicklyreach their operative position and receive the pressure of the enteringsteam, as set forth.

2. Thecasinghaving the abutment, grooved inclines, and ports, relativelyarranged as described, combined with the recessed hub having thespring-impelled pistons, the latter having apertures for the admissionof steam into the recesses of the hub, as set forth.

3. The combination, with the casing having the abutment, groovedinclines, and ports, relatively arranged as described, of the recessedhub having grooved end plates or flanges, and the spring impelledpistons adapted to slide in the recesses of the hub and in the groovesof the flanges, as set forth.

4. The hub having the piston-receiving recesses, the rods n, affixed tothe hub and pro j ectin g into said recesses, the pistons k, adapted toslide in said recesses, and provided with orifices receiving the rods a,and with passages m, whereby steam is admitted to the recesses tobalance the pistons,and the springs surrounding the rods 11. and adaptedto force the pistons outwardly, as set forth.

5. The hub having the spring-impelled pistons and end plates or flanges,combined with the casing having the ports, inclines, and abutments, andthe L-shaped packing-plates supported by expansible backings, andbearing simultaneously against the hub and its flanges, as set forth.

6. The hub having diskshaped end plates, c,with beveled edges, theflat-ended casing inclosing the same, the triangular packing-ringssurrounding and bearing'against the beveled portions of the end plates,and mechanism, substantially as described, whereby the rings may beadjusted, all combined and operating substantially as described.

7. The combination of the casing, the triangular packing-rings, and thehub having the beveled flanges bearing against the packing-rings, andprovided with grooves for the admission of oil to lubricate thebearing-surfaces of the flanges and rings, as set forth.

8. The combination of the oscillating hollow valve a, open at both ends,and having side ports, (1 e, and the casing having corresponding ports,f g, with the casing of a rotary engine having a port communicating withsaid ports, f g, and a rotating hub and piston, as described,substantially as set forth.

9. The combination, with the casing of a rotary engine having rotatinghub and pistons, as described, of the oscillating hollow valve a, havingports at opposite sides, the induction-ports in' the casing tocorrespond therewith, and the starting-valve ii in a casing, and adaptedto make connection with the induction-port, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification ,in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses, this Zlst day of February, 1884:.

FREUERIC CHAUNCEY MORTON.

Witnesses:

FREDERICK A. Fosrnn, NORMAN MORTON.

IIO

